Your Little Stuff

Here’s the thing about social networks.  They’re full of people.  No big surprise there.  But they act just like big bunches of people.  If you’re boring, they ignore you.  If you’re full of sturm and drang, they watch you but don’t interact with you b/c you’re acting crazy.  If you’re rude, they are fascinated with you b/c they want to see how rude you can be before you crash into somebody more rude.  If you’ve got something they want, like fame or cachet, they want to attach themselves to you so some of it can rub off on them and they can have something other people want.  They want your attention, but if you act needy around them, God help your sorry ass b/c they will play with you like a cat plays with a mouse.  And they’ll help you, yes, but always with an eye toward how it helps them.  No surprise there either.  So, what to do about social networks?

Your little channel, your little account, your little contacts list represents who you know, and who feels you’re worth knowing.  Like every relationship, added together, is a good reflection of who and what you are and have been, your social network is that.  It reflects the work you put into getting and keeping people.  It reflects the quality of the people.  It reflects the direction and power and focus of your efforts and maybe, your life.  And it isn’t necessarily better just because it’s big or because there’s a lot of it.  Big groups are like swirling water.  If my little groups work and I work for them, I’m happy.

More Credibility

I’m using my contacts as a freelance writer to establish that credibility that every social media guru says you have to get before people will start to see you as an expert in your professed field.  I expect to do that by writing articles that show my experience as an interviewer and the interview process. 

Scrutiny

I’ve decided it’s time time get some outside eyeballs looking at my new Conversus website.  So I’ve contacted a list of about 90 tech reporters from a bunch of publications and websites and blogs.  I’m hoping they look at it and maybe, review it.  I hope it gets reviewed positively.  But even if they tear it apart, I’ll use their comments to make it better.

Meeting Goals, Being Real

A lot of public and community radio stations are in the middle of fund drives right now.  And what I don’t understand is why people don’t support them.  They take the content, but they don’t give anything back.  If these stations could afford to be altruistic, they could afford to bake and leave apple pies on the windowsill for people to take and eat and not bother to say thanks for.  But they have bills to pay.  One station in particular spends $2,000/day just to keep the lights on and pay the teeny weeny staff.

So when people whine about how pledge drives bug them, I want to produce spots that are sort of equivalent to the images on cigarette packages; in other words, very rude.  Because these folks already know the issue.  They’ve known them for years.  So the issue isn’t education anymore.  It’s, in a way, saving them from their inattentive selves.  I want to make commercials that shock and infuriate but grab them by the throat and say something like, “Remember that relationship you had that you screwed up and now everyday, you cry about what you lost?  Don’t do that again here, now.”

It sort of reminds me of how people wail and beat their chests when a local bookstore goes out of business but only as long as it takes them to turn on their IPAD and order books from Amazon.  Spare me the show.  If you care and you’re willing to work, then do.  If you don’t but want people to think you do, … ewwwww.

Soundwaves have no Mercy

Well, after trying for several days to find a work around for the really terrible telephone connection for the Richie Spice interview, I decided equalization can just muddle things up.  So, I decided to just post it w/no equalization.  But it was a lesson that in the future, if the connection sounds like it may go in and out, I have to ask for another number.  Because in the end, if the quality isn’t high, the interview benefits nobody.  Still waiting for permission to post the Judy Collins interview.  It would be nice if you got to hear it, especially since she’s talking about her latest memoir.  But, I have to wait for the management company.  

Also, the interview promos I create and post to Twitter really seem to draw traffic to Soundcloud.  Buffer shows me analytics and some promos get a dozen or more clicks.  I love the promos and I’ll be using a lot more of them as teasers.  They work in broadcast and they work online.     

From Reggae to Folk and Back Again

It’s been a busy week.  But, besides the interview with Judy Collins I did a few days ago (which I expect will be posted soon), I also talked to Jamaican Reggae artist Richie Spice today.  I always try to conduct interviews in person to avoid issues with bad telephone connections. Landlines are the least worse of phone calls.   Cell phones are the worst – notorious for bad connections and dropped calls.  A tip for anybody being interviewed … do it in person.  Otherwise, you risk sounding terrible, or not being heard at all.  As much as T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon want to convince us that mobile technology is terrific, there is one thing they don’t seem to quite have down yet – phone calls.

Judy Collins

Interviewed the diva, Judy Collins, yesterday.  Amazed at all she had done in her life besides singing.  She’s written her seventh book, “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes”.  That interview should be up in a day or so.  I think you’ll like it.

Evaluation

Found out that Metafilter has a page for people to submit projects for critiquing.  So dropped off my Conversus site.  I hope they like it.  I hope they tear it apart.